Kathmandu l 30 July - 5 August, 2007 l # 27 l Price Rs. 25 l www.newsfront.com.np Flood Fury: Normal life has been badly affected in many villages in Terai. Pix shows flood marooned residents in Nepalgunj’s Dhamboji Chowk using local equipments for necessary movements. (Details on page 2) Damodar bhandari Inside New Delhi Stalling elections has a non- Can interim parliament be turned into constituent assembly? policy on Nepal, ä nf correspondent either reluctant or incapable of holding In the past few meetings, Koirala accommodate with adequate elections. Privately, India has warned has been asking Madheshi representations of Madheshi, Janajatis Jaswant Singh says Despite government’s rhetoric that him that in either condition, his Janadhikar Forum (MJF) leader, and Dalit groups, first in existing - page 5 it is committed to hold elections to the legitimacy would be over and he Upendra Yadav to work out how parliament so that he could secure constituent assembly on November would be treated no differently from many seats would his forum want in their support to convert it into the 22, there is a high level conspiracy the way king was treated after Feb 1, the existing parliament to call off the constituent assembly. brewing to stall it. This intends to turn 2005. agitation. Yadav has been blunt in With no sign of improvement in the existing interim parliament into The United Nations and the United demanding that this parliament does the law and order situation and constituent assembly after adding not enjoy settlement of the Terai problem, some more members, mainly from the With no sign of improvement in the law people’s conducting elections is looking Nepal Airlines : Madheshi and ethnic groups. and order situation and settlement of mandate, and increasingly impossible. In fact that totally crippled The person playing his card close to the Terai problem, conducting elections must be was the concern UN secretary, - page 3 his chest is none other than the Prime is looking increasingly impossible dissolved with General Ban Ki Moon and his Minister, G P Koirala. Although he has a caretaker special representative, Ian Martin not directly discussed this with any non- States as well as the Election government in place to conduct expressed in New York recently. Maoist parties in the government, many Commission have been warning the elections. The quiet exploration to convert have already guessed what he is up to. government that election must be “I repeated the same view before existing parliament into the constitu- Koirala is getting unpopular and held on time, but they have made it the government headed by Ram ent assembly looks like admission on unworthy of trust by the day. The very clear that the present law and Chandra Poudel when we met on the part of Koirala that effective Army vs Maoists international community and its order situation must improve if Saturday,” Yadav told newsfront. governance and improving law and page 2 representatives are sensing that he is elections are to be held. Sources said Koirala is willing to order is beyond his capability. ä - 2 30 July- 5 Aug, 2007 News Bhaswor Ojha MJF leader, Upendra Yadav accompanied by his forum colleagues, prepares to hold dialogues with the high level government team headed by Minister for Peace and Reconstruction, Ram Chandra Poudyal at Godavari on July 28. Yadav insisted that the parliament should be dissolved and a care-taker election government formed. The MJF- government meeting decided to settle the Terai issue by Aug 5. Flood toll Army vs. Maoists over 30 The Nepal army and the Maoists have entered the third crucial round ‘security guard issue.’ Swelling rivers fed by incessant rains have of fight with the Maoists accusing that the army is out to target its five Maoists’ latest criticism of the Nepal Army follows two aborted ones caused most parts in Terai and land-slides ministers. Decision of the Nepal Army to change these ministers’ in the past. In the first instance, they crippled normal lives in the country in the hills which altogether have taken a toll guards is being taken as the basis of that claim by the Maoists. for hours claiming that Nepal Army’s vehicles which were on the way to of more than 30 people across the country. “This is a routine exercise and such decisions are not at all taken at Kathmandu few months ago were carrying arms and ammunitions Home Ministry sources said flood has the prime minister’s or minister’s level. They are done at a much junior much against the peace agreement. But on verification, the vehicles taken into its grip some 37 districts with at level,” a senior army official said. He asserted that there is no motive were found empty. least 1east 86,000 people belonging to other than providing security to the Maoist ministers, behind the In the second instance, Maoists were forced to withdraw their Bandh 16,000 families affected. posting of these new guards. A cabinet meeting scheduled on Friday after PM Koirala, under pressure from the army, refused to shutdown Reports available here suggested that was put off as the Maoist ministers wanted a fool proof probe into the the Birpur army camp located in Kapilvastu district of western Nepal. Dang, Sarlahi, Mahottari, Siraha, Banke, Sindhuli and Gulmi have been affected by the flood and landslides with casualties reported. Standing crops have been ravaged in several areas, but the extent of damage is yet to be assessed, official sources said. The Home Ministry which has been acting as a nodal agency for relief and rescue operation for the flood marooned people has however, kept Nepal army out of it. But the army is air-dropping relief materials and is engaging in rescue operation in coordination with the Red Cross and other UN agencies. On Saturday, Home Minister K P Sitaula instructed the home ministry officials to gear up the relief and rescue operation, with an appeal to the affected people to approach UN agencies for necessary materials. He also asked them to work in close cooperation and coordination with the NGOs, INGOs and UN agencies. The Home Minister’s response followed serious concerns raised by the members of parliament cutting across party lines about the worsening flood situation which has endangered more lives and property. The MPs also decided to give their five Maoist Ministers : Dev Gurung, KB Bishwokarma, Matrika days’ salary for relief measures. Yadav, Hishila Yami and Krishna Bahadur Mahara Pix by newsfront News 30 July- 5 Aug, 2007 3 King vs. Totally crippled Shital Niwas Nepal airlines’ domestic and international operation comes to a halt. All crews and the ground staff of goes for c-check into the other one strike have warned the government the Nepal airlines in domestic so that we have at least one in that it could be prolonged if the sector have gone on a week-long operation in the international government failed to come out with strike beginning July 25 to press the sector,” Nepal airlines sources said. a positive response by the first government to buy more aircraft The airlines’ condition has week of August. Information and inject life in the sinking airlines. become more critical as it is on the reveals Delhi alone is accounting All the operations in ten domestic verge of losing more and more for nearly 20 million rupees loss per sectors have come to a grinding trained pilots to the private airlines, month and only last week they have halt with no response from the and there are reports of Delhi and asked for 45 lakhs of rupees from government yet. The international other sectors making huge losses. the head office to make urgent operation of the airlines is also “We want the government to do payments there. uncertain as one of its two aircrafts justice to the flag carrier,” a pilot in In fact the move to have a Druk is going to go for a regular c-check the domestic sector told newsfront, Airlines plane to fly between to Brunei on August 1, and the adding either the government Kathmandu and Delhi from August corps, and the Russian Ambassador ä nf correspondent other one is not in a good condition. should go for immediate purchase 1 did not work as the aircraft was is one of them. Andrew Hall who acts “It may perhaps be possible to of aircraft or shut it down. too small, able to accommodate Not all diplomats were keen to as head of the European Union here shift the engine of the aircraft that The Nepal airlines employees on only 80 people. boycott the invitation extended by the by virtue of his being the British royal palace during King Gyanendra’s Ambassador was the first to publicly birthday in the first week of July. But announce that he would not be Shital Niwas played a pro-active role attending the birthday function at the dissuading ambassadors and palace. honorary consuls to boycott the Although, officially all the European occasion. country ambassadors have stated Minister Sahana Pradhan spoke that it is for the people of Nepal to personally to some of the ambassa- decide on the future of monarchy, dors saying their going to the palace some of them, thoroughly disap- would amount to granting legitimacy pointed with the present regime, have to the king at a time when the started discussing about the possible government has suspended him. Ms relevance of the institution of Pradhan spoke to the ambassador of monarchy, in private. Japan personally. All the honorary King Gyanendra is believed to consults who serve at the pleasure of have sent a message of congratula- the government, called the palace to tions to the newly appointed president express regret for their absence.